Carbureter.



F. A'. HEATH.

CAHBURETER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. l0, I9I5. RENEWED MAY 7. ISIS.

1 ,287,990. Patented Dec. 17, 1918:

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

'MJM

F. A. HEATH.

CARBURETER. APPLICATION FILED MAR.10,|9|5. RENEWED- MAY 7, 1918.

Patented Dec. 1T, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WIT/VESSES MTM/Enron er' l @Ma/:muffin ED STATES PATENT OFFICEo FORREST A. HEATH, 0F JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HEATH CARBURETER CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. I

CARBURETER.

Matese.

Patented Dec. 17, i918.

Application led March 10, 1915, Serial N o. 13,400. Renewed May 7, 1918. Serial No. 233,169.

To aZZ whom t may concern Be it known that I, Fonnnsr A. HEATH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carbureters, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to carbureters of the type in which an explosive mixture for combustion in motor cylinders is made by mechanicallyy coi'nminuting or atomizing liquid fuel and diffusing ,it in predetermined quantities and proportions in an air draft which is utilized as a carrier of the fuel and the supporter of combustion. Such devices commonly embody an air inlet, a gasolene inlet, a mixing chamber and a throttle or damper for regulating the volume of the mixture which will be drawn inward in response to the suction of the motor cylinder.

My invention is embodied in a simple compact device of this class, in which the gasolene supply and the air supply are controlled by separate metering devices operated interdependently by means of a single controller, so that the total volume of the mixture can be adjusted from zero up to the maximum requirements of the motor. Preferably the gasolene metering device is such that all adjustment movements produce directly proportional increases in the gasolene inlet area, while the air inlet of the throttle is provided with an obstruction or battle so that the increase in air supply is dependent on the shape and position of the obstruction with reference to the throttle movement. This is predetermined so as to give the best percentage of gasolcne for each volume of the mixture and 1n practice the baffle keeps the increase of air inlet area much less than proportional from closed throttle up to say or open throttle. By thus applying the variable metering to the large volume constituentthe airavoid the necessity of microscopic accuracy which is necessary where the richness variation is effected by variable metering of the minute quantity constituent -thc gasolene.

lBy arranging the throttle opening in the form of an annulus having an axis parallel with and preferably in alinement with the gasolene metering device, it becomes possible to make the adjusting movement of the one predetermine and control the adjusting movement of the other in a very simple and reliable way.

I preferably make the air valve seat which carries the air metering surface, adjustable independently of the thottle so that the initial throw of the gasolene meter device may be made greater or less thereby changin the initial or basic ratio of gasolene to air. This adjustment does not interfere with the function of the air metering baille in varying the relative richness of such mixture for the various intermediate throttle positions.

I also arrange for obtaining maximum air inlet velocities and maximum vacuum in the initial mixing chamber under closedthrottle conditions, so as to increase the effectiveness of the atomizing and to promote evaporation. To this end I arrange the throttle inlet in the form of a relatively narrow annular opening or slit located below the gasolene inlet nozzles. In the form shown, the circumference of this slit is about sixteen times the height at maximum lift. This projects the air as a uniform thin annular sheet high velocity toward the transversely projected gasolene jets. bailie tends to give an upward deflection to the air even at wide open throttle. By arranging this air inlet slit as an annulus at the bottom of the carbureting chamber, any excess of gasolene drains to the nearest edge thereof for most effective re-atomizing and evaporation, instead of tending to ldrain into one locality or to a position below the incoming air draft.

Tn order to keep up the standard maximum evaporation and atomizing under open throttle conditions Where the volume of the mixture is large and the vacuum is small, I arrange above the gasolene inlet and between it and the engine amixing atomizer, the efficiency of which is adapted to increase when the volume of mixture increases. Preferably this includes inclined or helical surfaces adapted to give the draft a spiral whirl, and cooperating transverse members against which the whirling draft impinges.

By reason of the above referred to slit like proportions of the air inlet, the ,total throttle lift is relatively minute, say onefourth of an inch from tight closed to wide converging upwardly at- The air meteringY with reference to the maximum lift of the 4pin So that the annular area for gasolene escape will never be greater than the area of the constricted inlet 13. This is because the area of the outlet controls the flow, only so long as it is smaller than the inlet. In the arrangement shown, the diameter of the diverging lportion 14 at the uppermost position of the tip of the pin should never exceed the diameter of the constricted portion 13 by more than about 5 to 4.

I preferably form the lower end of the metering pin say for one third of its length, on a taper which is the same as that of passage 14. By tiling the end of the pin to get a longer or shorter fruStum for this cone tip, I can Ipredetermine what region and what cross-section of passage 14, will be utilized for the metering, thus predetermining with great accuracy the range of quantities of gasolene to be metered by a given lift of the metering pin. a

Gasolene is supplied by a simple connection through a transverse passage 23. The

: vacuum created by the engine suction at low throttle, and the injector eiect at high engine speeds with wide open throttle may be utilized to draw the gasolene through this passage even when the reservoir is located below the level of the jet outlet, but other things being equal, the supply is preferably from a reservoir located somewhat above the level of the gasolene jets 17, or otherwise arranged to deliver gasolene to said jets under a slight pressure, say one-half pound to one pound and one-half per square inch. In the proportions shown, this will give a static pressure of say one or two ounces, upon the under side of the valve surfaces 24, 25 when the valve is not seated, and say halt that when it is seated. The total weight of the valve is made enough greater than the static ressure of the gasolene to make it norma ly self-seating by gravity against said premure, say an ounce or so heavier than the pressure.

The area and weight of the disk will be designed with reference to the velocity and lifting power of the incoming air, so that, except possibly for very low engine speed with wide throttle opening, the valve will always be lifted and held firmly against the abutment afforded by septum 20. Thus under all normal conditions the lower end or metering point 24 of the pin will alwaysv have its position predetermined, and fixed by the position of the throttle which carries said septum 20. With a metering device proportioned as shown in Fig. 9, the device will give an increased amount of gasolene, approximately proportional to the lift of the throttle.

As pointed out above, it is necessary in devices of this class to meter one of its constituents disproportionately to the other, in

larger quantity constituent-the air.

order to vary the richness of the mixture, and in accordance with my present invention, I apply this variable metering to the To this end, I provide a disk like valve seat 28 threaded upon the gasolene stem 10. In the proportions shown in the drawing, this gives an annular air' inlet which, at wide open throttle has a peripheral extentlabout 16 times the maximum throttle lift. Even allowing for the supports 7, 7, which cut oil part of the circumference, this proportion is. fully 12 to 1. For half throttle, it will be 24 to l, for quarter throttle 48 to 1, and for eighth throttle, 96 to 1. Thus, under the exacting conditions'of nearly closed throttle, the slit is extremely narrow and adapted to supply air in the thinnest possible sheet of highest possible velocity, thus giving maximum conflict and atomizing action relative to the transverse gasolene jets from the orices 17 and also adequate lifting effect on valve disk 19.

The variable metering of the air to get the required disproportionate percentages of air and gasolene is eected by means of a carefully pre-designedcircular baille 29, adjacent the air inlet slit and extending upward for say one-fourth the total lit-t of the throttle. The eect which this baffle has in preventing increase of eiective air inlet area from being proportional to the lift of the throttle will be more evident from F ig. 8, which is a greatly enlarged view showing the parts, movements and areas involved. From said figure it will be evident that for the iirst one-eighth throttle lift, say inch, the metering slit is measured from a to o and the air inlet area increases in direct proportion to the lift of the throttle. At this point however, the point c on the surface of the baille becomes the nearest point to the lower edge of the throttle and the line a-c being then the minimum openino', is necessarily the metering opening. TFrom this point up to a2 the air inlet areas continue to increase with increasing lift of throttle, but the increase is in a very much smaller ratio to the lift, so that at a2 the width of the air slit z2-d, is about 50% of what it would be for a direct proportion. From this point on the eilective width of air slit for successive positions of the lifting throttle, are shown at z3-d, L4-d, z5-cl, etc. For each of these latter positions, it will be seen that the eiiect of the baille becomes less and less and each unit lift gives nearer and nearer proportional increase of air opening, the difference between the throttle lift and increase of throttle area at a and as being scarcely measurable.

The seat 29 with its baille are made manually adjustable to a very slight extent by means of the lever projection 30. It will be seen that these adjustments give only a very slight variation in the initial relation of the gasolene valve abutment on septum 2G, thus securing slightly greater initial lift of the metering pin in response to the initial movement of opening throttle. This adjustment is used mainly for accurately predetermining the best proportions of mixture for idling conditions in diderent lrinds extremely thin converging cone-shaped sheet of .air is drawn in at high velocitv; the gasolene is projected across this conical air sheet to the best advantage for atomizing; the maximum vacuum for eective evaporation is greatest under the most trying condition, namely, that of lowest throttle; projected or condensing gasolene drains directly to the nearest portion of the slit on the upper side thereof so that it will be to the greatest possible extent liclred oil' from the lower edge of the throttle without escaping therefrom. Y

rllhe secondary atoniizing and mixing appliances in the upper part, 2, of the casing, are useful under all conditions but are especially adapted for greatest eii'iciency when the throttle is widestopen. At such times, the vacuum in the initial mining chamber is smallest, while at such times the yolume of the air draft is greatest. Hence, l employ as the secondary mixing appliance one which is most edective in connection with large volume and high speed draft. For this purpose, the vertical throttle wall beneath the septum 20 is provided with suit/- able radial outlets 81, which projects the draft in the path of inclined, preferably helical surfaces which may take the forni of ribs 32, cast integral with the wall of the casing. ln order to prevent localizing a vacuum above the septum 2O such as would tend to lift the throttle and disturb the adjustment thereof, l may provide the latter with inclined or helically directed openings 34: adapted to relieve the vacuum and also whirl the center of the draft preferably in the'same direction as the ribs 32.

This arrangement gives the draft a helical commingling action, tending to throw the larger particles or globules of gasolene cutwardly against the walls by centrifugal force. Those which are small enou h to be carried forward by the draft are su ject to the action of transverse surfaces adorded by the radial, spoke-like members 33. 'llhese completely break up all tendency to stratior unequal distiibution of the gesolene insignes and they further break up any unatomized particles in the draft. The general resultis that the core or interior of the air draft which is farthest remote from the friction retardation of the walls is a practically homogeneous mixture with a large percentage of its hydro-carbon actually evaporated to gaseous condition and the remainder so minutely atomized as to be a satisfactory approximation of gas.

ln the foregoing' description and in the following claims l' use the word gasolene in a broad sense as including the wide range of hydrocarbon mixtures now popularly designated by this name, since l have used my carbureter successfully for starting as well as running automobile motors on coraniercial 5to gasolene and under some conditions, on kerosene.

l preferably inclose the air inlet and also afford protection for the cam slot of the throttle by means of a sheet metal casing 35, applied over the bottom of the device and secured by screws 36 to the yoke 8.

is a. supplemental starting device for priming the draft for starting the motor when cold, l may arrange a tap pipe 37 controlled by hand operated cock 38 discharging into the sheet metal case referred to. A relatively large amount of gasolene may be injected at this point in this way without flooding the carbureter beyond the limits of easy control through the throttle in theusual way.

l/l'hat isy claimed is l. ln a carbureter of the class described, a cylindrical'case member, a cylindrical air throttle longitudinally adjustable therein, a circular 4seat at right angles to the axis of said throttle and concentric therewith, a gasolene supply passage and nozzle substantially in the axis of said throttle above said seat, a gasolene valve having a disk adapted to be lifted by the air draft, a stop for said valve movable interdependently with said throttle, whereby in operation the extent of movement of the gasolene valve will be limited by the movement of the throttle.

2. ln a carburetor of the class described, a cylindrical case member, a cylindrical air throttle, longitudinally movable therein, a circular seat at right angles to the axis of said throttle, and concentric therewith, a gasolene supply passage and nozzle substantially in the axis of said throttle above said seat, a gasolene valve, a disk adapted to be lifted by the air draft and carrying said valve, a stop for said valve carried by said throttle whereby, in operation, the extent of movement of the gasolene valve will be equal to the lift of the throttle.

3. ln a carbureter of the class described a gasolene supply passage comprising an inlet adapted 'to permit flow of gasolene equal to the maximum requirements of the carY bureter, a diverging passage above said inlet, a lateral vent for the gasolene, a draft operated metering pin longitudinally movable in said diverging passage, formed and arranged s0 that the lower end of said pin determines the minimum constriction and metering point of the gasolene, in combination with a throttle in the form of a cylinder surrounding said gasolene supply passage, means for longitudinally moving said cylinder to open and close the air inlet, a member carried by said throttle cylinder adapted to limit the opening movement of the gasolene metering pin by the movement of the throttle, in combination with means for obstructing the air inlet passage to meter the air variably with respect to the gasolene supply and thereby insure predetermined variations of richness ofthe air and gasolene mixture for the different volumes thereof. Y

il. In a carbureter of the class described a gasolene supply passage comprising an inlet adapted to permit flow of gasolene equal to the maximum requirements of the carbureter, a diverging passage above said in-l let, lateral delecting means for the gasolene jet, a metering pin longitudinally movable in said diverging passage, formed and arranged so that the lower end of said pin determines the minimum constriction and metering point of the gasolene throughout the range of operative positions thereof, in combination with a hollow sleeve throttle surrounding said gasolene supply passage, means for longitudinally moving said sleeve to open and close the throttle, a member carried by said throttle adapted to permit regulated movement of the gasolene metering pin equal to the adjusting movement of the throttle.

5. A carbureter comprising a hollow casting, a transverse support across the lower end, an axial gasolene nozzle mounted on .said support, an air inlet throttle seat adjustable on said gasolene nozzle. a longitudinally adjustable throttle sleeve concentric with said parts and longitudinally movable Within said casting, a symmetrical movable gasolene controller in said gasolene nozzle, and means carried by said throttle adapted to limit the opening of said gasolene controller by increase of the extent of opening of said throttle.

6. A carbureter comprising in combination, a longitudinally extending gasolene nozzle, and surrounding air throttle together with a transverse throttle seat below said nozzle all concentrically supported in fixed relation, a draft operated gasolene metering valve, mounted in and guided by said gasolene nozzle and a stop carried by and moving with said throttle to prevent opening of the gasolene device to a greater extent than the throttle opening.

7. In a carbureter of the class described a gasolene supply passage comprising an inlet adapted to permit How of gasolene equal to the maximum requirements of the carbureter, a diverging passage above said inlet, a lateral vent for the gasolene, a .draftoper ated metering pin longitudinally movable in said diverging passage, formed and arranged so that the lower end of said pin determines the minimum constriction and metering point of the gasolene throughout all adjustments thereof, in combination with a cylindrical throttle for controlling the draft at the air inlet only.

8. In a carbureter of the class described a gasolene supply passage comprising an inlet adapted to permit How of gasolene equal to the maximum requirements of the carbureter, a diverging passage above said inlet,

lateral delecting means for the gasolene jet, a metering pin longitudinally movable in said diverging passage, formed and arranged so that the lower end of said pin determines the minimum .constriction and metering point of the gasolene throughout all adjustments thereof, in combination with a cylindrical throttle for controlling the draft at the air inlet only.

9. A carbureter having two co-axial rotatable members spaced apart to form an annular air inlet, one of said members being in the form of a sleeve and the other of said members being in the form of an end wall, and each of said members being adjustable toward and from the other b v a rotation aboutthe common axis.

10. A carbureter having two co-axial rotatable members spaced apart to form an annular air inlet, one of said members being in the form of a sleeve and the other of said members being in the form of an end wall, and each of said members being adjustable toward and from the other by a rota tion about the common axis, the rotation of one of said members through a given arc effecting a considerably greater axlalmovement than is effected by a corresponding rotation of the other member.

ll. A carbureter having two co-axial rotatable members spaced apart to form a passage therebetween, means for effecting a comparatively slight axial movement of one of said members toward and from the other member upon the rotation thereof to provide a line adjustment of the effective size of said passage,'and means for effecting a materially greater axial movement upon a corresponding rotation of the other member to permit a coarse adjustment of the effective size of said passage.

1Q. A carbureter having two co-axial rotatable members spaced apart to form a passage therebetween, one of said members being in the form of a sleeve and the other of said members being in the. form of a transllfl of passage.

i carburetor having a centrally disposed liquid fuel inlet, an annular air inlet encircling tbe same, a valve controlling` said liquid fuel inlet, an annular sleeve movable axially to control the site of said air inlet,

means connected to said valve for automaticall y opening the by the passage of the gaseous draft current through said carbure'ter, and means for varying the limit for the opening movement of said valve in accordance with the position of said air inlet controlling sleeve.

le. carbureter having a liquid fuel inet, an annular airinlet, a member movable n the direction of tbe movement of fluid through said carbureter for controlling said air inlet, a member for controlling said liquid fuel inlet, and means whereby' the arialv opening movement of the latter is limited by the arial movement of the other member, Without preventing independent closing movement thereof.

l5. il carbureter having a sleeve and member toward uwhich said Sleeve may move axially, said member presenting a surface adjacent to one end of said sleeve and spaced therefrom to form an annular draft passage, the relative contours of said surface and the end of said sleeve being such that equal axial movements of said sleeve give variable increases or decreases in the size of said passage.

16. il carburetor having a sleeve and a member normally spared therefrom, one of said members being axially movable toward and from the other to vary the; sizeof the annular draft pmsage therebetween, the said member presenting a constricting surface whereby equal axial movements of one member reduce unequal corresponding increases or eoreases in the size of said annular passage.

17. A carbureter having a sleeve and a member normally'P spaced therefrom, one of said members being axially movable toward and from the other vary the size of the annular draft passsage therebetween, the said member presenting a constricting surface whereby equal axial movements of one member produce unequal corresponding iucreases or decreases in the size of said annular passage during one portion of its range of movement and produces equal variations tbe size of said for equal moveinents of said member when in another portion of itsrange of movement.

i8. ln acarbureter of the type adapted to control the power and speed of variable speed explosive motors, a suitable casing liar/'ing a draft passsage through which tbe draft is adapted to be drawn by the suction of the motor, means for supplying a liquid fuel jet intermediate the ends of said draft rassage, a draft controlling throttle valve adapted to variably constrict said draft assage on the draft inlet side of said jet, ereby subjecting the liquid fuel jet to the lianimum vacuum available through variae tbrottling of the draft under varying conditions of motor speed and load, a metering device for varying the liquid fuel supply, a. controller for positively actuating the throttle, a stop movable interdependently with the throttle and a dislr on the fuel meter actuated by flovv of the draft currents to hold said fuel meter open to the full entent permitted by said stop during normal operation of the device, but permitting independent self-closing of said fuel meter when the draft current fails, said fuel meter being formed and arranged to vary the area of the fuel metering passage substantially uniformly and proportionally throughout the range of its adjusting movement, and said throttle valve being formed and arranged to vary the area of the air metering passage in variable proportion.

19. ln a carbureter of the type adapted to control the power and speed of variable speed explosive motors, a suitable casing having a draft passage through which the draft is adapted to be drawn by the suction of the motor, means for supplying a liquid el jet intermediate the ends of said draft passage, a' draft controlling throttle valve adapted to 'variably constrict said draft passage on the draft inlet side of said jet, thereby subjecting the liquid fuel jet `to the maximum vacuum available through variable throttling of the draft under varying conditions of. motor speed and load, means for whirling and mixing the draft in said draft passage on the outlet side of said fuel jet, a metering device for varying the liquid fuel supply, a controller for positivel` actuating the throttle, a stop movable inter ependently with the throttle and a disk on the fuel meter actuated by iiow of the draft currents to hold said fuel meter open to the full eX- tent permitted by said stop during normal operation of the device, but ermitting independent self-closing of said fuel meter when the draft current fails, said fuel meter being formed and arranged to vary the area of the fuel metering passage substantially uniformly and proportionally throughout the range of its adjusting movement, and

said throttle valve being formed and erv vso ranged to vary the area of the air metering passage in variable proportion.

20.A In a carbureter of the type adapted to control the power and speed of variable speed explosive motors, a suitable casing havi a draft passage through which the draft is adapted to be drawn by the suction of the motor, means for supplying a liquid fuel jet intermediate the ends of said draft passage, a draft controlling throttle valve consisting of a hollow cylindrical member and transverse member mounted for relative opening and closing movement to variably constrict said draft passage on the draft inlet side of said jet, thereby subjecting the liquid fuel jet to the maximum vacuum available through variable throttling of the draft under varying conditions of motor speed and load, means for whirling and mixing the draft in. said draft passage on the outlet side of said jet, said means including an enlarged mixing chamber having walls converging toward the exit opening and relatively narrow oblique ribs on said Walls for inducing whirling motion in said draft and, adjacent the outlet, thin open spaced transversely extend-l ing members against which the whirling mixture is adapted to impinge obliquely, a metering device for varying the liquid fuel supply, a controller for positively actuating the throttle, a stop -movable interdependently with the throttle and a disk on the fuel meter actuated by flow of the draft currents to bold said fuel meter open to the full extent permitted by said stop during normal operation of the device, but permitting independent self-closing of said fuel meter when the draft current fails, said fuel meter being formed and arranged to vary the area of the fuel metering passage substantially uniformly and proportionally throughout the range of its adjusting movement, and said throttle valve being formed andarranged to vary the area of the air metering passage in variable proportion.

2l. In a carbureter of the type adapted to control the power and speed of variable speed explosive motors, a suitable casing having a draft passa/ge through which the draft is adapted to be drawn by the suction of the motor, means for supplying a liquid `fuel jet intermediate the ends of said draft passage, a draft controlling throttle valve on the draft-inlet side of said jet, said valve comprising a circular draft inlet member and a coperating transverse disk adapted to close said inlet arranged for relative opening and closing movement in a direction parallel with the axis of said disk to variably constrict said draft opening; means for whirling and mixing the draft on the outlet side of said jet, said means including an enlarged mixing chamber having relatively narrow oblique ribs on its inner Walls and, adjacent the outlet, thin, open-spaced, transversely extending members against which the whirling mixture is adapted to impinge obliquely, a metering device for varying the liquid fuel supply, and means for causing said metering device and said air throttle to have equal opening and closing movements but permitting automatic self-closure of the metering device when the draft fails, said means including a stop adjustable at the will of the operator and, cooperating therewith, a disk actuated by liow of the draft current, rigidly secured to the fuel meter and adapted to hold said fuel meter open to the full extent permitted by said stop during normal operating of the device, but permitting selfclosing of said fuel meter when the draft current fails, said metering device being formed and arranged to vary the area of the fuel metering passage substantially uniformly and proportionally throughout the range of its adjusting movement, and said throttle valve being formed and arranged to vary the area of the air metering passage in variable proportion.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 9th day of` Malh, A. D. 1915.

' FORREST A; HEATH. Witnesses:

FLORENCE Lnvmn,

CLAm W. FAIRBANK. 

